Unifor fundraises $150,000 for Quebec City women’s shelters

Delegates to Unifor’s 3rd Constitutional Convention being held in Quebec City collectively raised $150,000 for La maison des femmes de Québec and other smaller shelters across the city.

“No woman should ever have to experience violence, let alone in her own home,” said National President, Jerry Dias. “Unifor is proud to make this contribution to the work of La maison. It is the least we can do.”

During the convention’s proceedings, Dias asked male delegates to stand and take an oath to play an active role in stopping violence against women. The convention also featured a keynote address by Tarana Burke, the founder of the #MeToo movement.

After raising more than $90,000 from local union donations and ticket sales to a Wednesday fundraiser, Dias pledged to top up the amount to $150,000 from the union’s Canadian Community Fund. The first $100,000 will go to La maison des femmes de Québec, and an additional $50,000 will be divided among a number of smaller shelters in the Quebec City area.

“I was very heartened by the collective effort to support this important cause. Unifor is clearly a union that wants to make a real impact in communities,” said Dias.

The mandate of the Quebec City Women’s Shelter (La maison des femmes de Québec) is to create and maintain a safe and stimulating environment where women who are victims of violence can seek refuge with their children and regain control of their lives. The organization also promotes and defends the interests and rights of women and fights against the oppression they face, particularly the violence experienced in their intimate relationships and in society in general.